Incoming Director General (DG) of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Prof Sani Abubakar Mashi, has pledge to turn the agency around through focus on workers’ welfare and facility upgrade.

Mashi, during the tour of NIMET facility at the Lagos airport, said the agency would work better with motivated staff and better equipment at their disposal.

Meanwhile, the agency has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) for improved weather information.

The incoming boss, in company of the outgoing, said he was impressed with the amount of development and facilities at the agency, saying he would hit the ground running with workers’ welfare, training and retraining programmes.

Mashi, a former Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Abuja, promised that during his tenure, the agency will be mindful of what eventually goes to staff on monthly bases, especially at this time of economic recession.

In his words: “I will do whatever is possible within the limits of the law to get something added or introduced to whatever they take home. Then, the entitlement that go to them, from time to time. That much – for instance, shift, duty and hazard allowances – they need to have to encourage them to work.. Because like you know, we work on equipment and we work on very difficult times of the day,” he said.

Mashi added that training and retraining would also be priority. He said even though there is currently an embargo by the Federal Government on international training because of the economic situation of the country, “that cannot stop us in exceptional circumstances”.

“We will try and make case to the government so that they will give us a little window because of the essential services we are rendering, even if it means bringing in people from outside to come and train them.

“I will make sure they are well trained so that they can compete with other meteorologists from anywhere in the world. These are the three areas, which I believe if we improve it will go a long way in raising the moral of the staff as far as welfare issues is concerned.”

Outgoing DG of the agency, Dr. Anthony Anuforom, said the tour was part of the transition process as he would be completing his tenure in a matter of weeks and then proceed on his disengagement leave by March.

Anuforom urged NIMET workers to support Mashi for a successful tenure in the agency.